Dental floss-holder.



F. o; GAMBLE. DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER.

APPLIGATION FILBD DEU. 38,1912.

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.application iled December 2e, 1912. Serial rio. 738,972.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, FREDERICK GAM- BLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of @ook and State of illinois, have invented cert-ain new' and useful Improvements in Dental Floss-Holders, of which the following is a. specification,

reference being had to the accompanying In the drawings -Figure l is a. partly sectional side elevation of a tool. embodying this invent-ion, section being made through the stem of the handle axially with respect thereto. Fig. 2 is a lpartly sectional edge elevation otthe same, section being made through the portion of the handle at the line 2-2 en Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a forward end view of the same. Fig. 4c is a dissected section of the bobbin-holder and bobbin., axial with respect to ,the latter. Fig. 5 is a gure similar to Fig. 1, showing amodiied form of the device. Fig. 6 is an edge elevation of the form shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a magnified detail section at the line 7"? on Fig. 5.

The device shown in the drawings comprises a fork between whose prongs, 1-1, the thread to be handled by the tool is to be stretched, and a handle for said form c0mprising a stem, 2, and a knob-like bobbinholder, 3,at the end of the stern, remote from the fork. The device is shown in two forms. The form shown in Figs.l 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be first described. ln this form the bobbinsholder, 3, and the forli are screwed into opposite ends of the handle stem, 2, the latter being tubular for providing an axial cavity through which the thread may extend from the'bobbin to the fork. The fork arms 1-1, are both curved side-ward at their extremities, as seen in Fig. 2, and are channeled upon the outer edge to accommodate the thread which is threaded through the axially apertured hub, 4, of the fork and out through the righthand fork prong through an open eyelet,

y screwed,

'tion in which the portions,

l, provided at the base of that prong close alongside thehub, from which point it is drawn into the channel. or groove, ll), on the outer side of .said prong into which it ex tends into the seltthreading eyelet, 1, at the end of the prong, thence across through the eyelet, l, of the opposite prong from which it extends, lying in the groove, 1", of that prong to the base of the fork which has an open eyelet, la, through which the thread is passed. lt will be observed that an annular tablet or shoulder, 4a, which is formed around the base of the threaded hub, 4:, and the end of the tubular stem, 2, is fiat, tacing a corresponding annular tablet, 2a, around the threaded counter-bore, 2b, into which the threaded hub ot the fork is and when the fork is threaded as it will be seen that the thread the annular tablet. or be bound or clamped the opposed andescribed, extends twice across shouldend, so as te between that shoulder and nular tablet or shoulder, and it will be observed also that the direcsc?, of the thread or floss, X, extend across said annular tablet when the fork is threaded as described, is such that when the fork is screwed into the stem so as to clamp the thread between the two annular shoulders, the frictional drag upon the thread is in of said portions, ma, as to drawthe thread from both the eyes. l, so as to render it taut across the gan between them, and'this is the purpose of the threading arrangement described.

rlhe knob-like bobbin-holder, B. is divided axially with respect to its threaded hub, 3, the two parts being clearly seen in d, and each of them is provided at the center of' the expanded portions, 3b, which .terms the bobbin easing, with a stud. 3. for centering the bobbin, 6. whose hub. 6, riveted to the lateral disk, 6, is axiallv bored at 6, to receive said pins upon which the binder turns in unwinding the thread. rllhe pins, 3, serve as rivets to hold both springs, 7, one in each memberl of the casing whic bears upon the disks, 6b, of the bobbin when the casing members are brought together to engage and inclose the bobbin. llt will be understood that said casing members are held together properly b v having the threaded split hub, 3, screwed into the threaded counter-bore at the outer end of the handle stem, 2.

2, of the stem;

suchdirection at both l l through an aperture, v10", of one of the forkA It will be understood that the process of threading up the tool will be performed as follows: The knob handle and the fork being both unscrewed from the tubular'stem, the end of the thread will be passed axially through the stem. The bobbin will then beengaged between the two halves of the bob-' bin casing with the thread running out through the axial aperture formed through the hub by the coincidence of the grooves, 3d, in the facing surfaces of the hub halves, and the assembled members of the casing being then screwed into the handle, will be retained and will hold the bobbin snugly between them. The thread will now be threaded through the axial aperture of the fork hub and out through the eyelet, 1, around through the eyelet, 1, of the fork and back through the aperture, 1f, as described, all this being done before the fork isl screwed into the stem. This latter process being performed as soon as the shoulders, 4, and 2, begin to clamp the thread, the end of the latter which runs out through the eyelet, lf, may be drawn upon to take up t-he slack in the thread and then the screwing in of the fork being completed, t-he thread will be drawn taut and held.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the provision for holding the cord taut and for tightening it differs from the other form. For this purpose, there is provided a forked clamping device, 10, having a threaded-stem, l10, which is screwed into the vend of the tubular handle, 2, and by means of its fork arms, 10b, pressing against the inner sides of the prongs of the fork, l, this connection maybe made to tightly clamp the said fork,

1, onto the end of the stem, 2. In this form, the thread is threaded through the axial aperture, 10, of the stem, 10, and thence arms, 10b, from which it extends to and is threaded through an eyelet, 1g, on the inner side of one of the fork arms. Thence it extends through the self-threading eyelet, 1, at the end of the same prong and-across through the similar terminal eyelet of the other prong and back through thel eyelet, 1S, of that prong, and thence out through an eyelet, 1h, through the lower end of the lastmentioned prong. In the extent of the cord from the eyelet, 10e, to the eyelet, 1g, and from the other eyelet, 1g, to the eyelet, 1h, the cord passes between gripping bosses, 1k, on the prongs, 1 and 10k, on 'the fork arms, 10b, where it will be clampedand held by the same pressure of the fork arms, l0", by which the fork, 10, will bind the fork 1. to the handle stem, 2 when the threaded connection at 10a is tightened up. By making these two bosses,1k and '10, so that the one seats within the other, as indicated in Fig. 7, they have the effect of feathers or splines to prevent the relative rotation of the two forks, 1 and 10, when the handle stem is handle member for the fork having a tu -I 4bular stem and a clamp for connecting the Vfork to the stem, said clamp device being' formed to enter 'betweenthe prongs of the fork and bear against the inner sides thereof and having a threaded tang, the fork having an aperture through which the tang extends, and the tubular stem ceive the tang.

2. In a device for the purpose indicated, in combination with a fork having divergent prongs and means for holding a thread extended between the tips of its prongs; at handle member for the fork having a tubular stem and a clamp for connecting the fork to the stem, said clamp device being formed to enter between the prongs of the 'fork and'- bear against the inner sides thereof and have ing a threaded tang, the fork having an aperture through which the tang extends, and the tubular stem being threaded to receive the tang, the clamp having its tang axially apertured forlthe thread and hav= ing a thread guide eye through which the thread may extend from the axial aperture to the face of the clamp device which bears against one of the fork prongs, whereby the thread is clamped to the fork when the fork is clamped to the handle.

3. In a devicefor the purpose indicated, in combination with a fork having divergent prongs and means for holding a thread ex;

tended between the tips of its prongs; al'io,

.fork and bear against the inner sides thereof and having a threaded tang, the fork having an aperture through which the tang extends, and the tubular stem being threaded to receive the tang` the clamp being forked and the tang having an axial aperture leading into the fork gap, and one of the fork arms of the clamp having a thread eye leading'to the side which bears against the inner side of the rst mentioned fork.

4. In a device for the purpose indicated, in combination `with a fork having divergent prongs and means for holding a thread e'xtended between the tips of its prongs; a handle member for the fork having a tubular stern and a clamp for connecting the fori; to the stem, said clamp device being st j being threaded to re i 85 formed to enter between the arms ot the l'ork and hear against the inner sides 1thereof and lawine' a threaded tang, the fork having an aperture through which the tang;` extends, and thc'tuhular siem being threaded to receive the tang, the head ot the clamp being iorlced and the tang havingr an axial aperture leading into the fork gap, and one of the icrlc arms of the clamp having a thread eve leadinga to the side which bears against the inner lside of the prong of therst mentioned fork, the opposite prong of said fork having; a thread eye between the junction of the i'orlc prongs and the bearing of the clamp thereon.

In a device tor the purpose indicated, a handle comprising a tubular stem and a bobb'm holder having an aXially-apertur'ed and cxteriorly-threaded hub adapted to be screwed into one end of thetubular stem, said bobbin holder being divided axially with respect to said hub, each member thereof comprising, in addition to one-half the hub, one-half of a shell for inclosing a bobbin, said halves having, respectively, studs projecting toward each other at their centersl t'or centering" and retaining a bobbin in the shell.

(l. ln a device for the purposeindicated, a handle comprising a tubular stem and a bobbin holder having' an axially-apertured and exteriorly-threaded hub adapted to be `screwed into one end of the tubular stem,

said hobbin holder being' divided axially with respect to said hub, each member thereof comprising, in addition to one-half the hub, one-halt of a shell for inclosingr a bohbin, said halves having, respectively, studs projecting` toward each other at their centers for centering and retaining a bobbin in the shell, and springs mounted on said studs, adapted to yieldingly press upon the opposite sides of the bobbin when the shellhalves are bound together embracing the bobbin,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 23rd day of December` 1912.

FREDERICK O. GAMBLE. lVitnesses CnAs. S. BURTON, M. GERTRUDE ADY. 

